The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-08-24
PISTOLS, SHOTGUNS, RIFLES.
Interesting Facts About Weapons OF Sport
and Death.

Interesting Facts About Weapons or Sport
and Death.
From the New York SUM-
There have been pistols enough
sold in the last ten years to arm the
male population of the United States,
and If every man and big boy in the
country has not got one it must be be-
cause the cheap ones don't last long
enough to be handed down as heir
looms" So spoke the manager of
famous house in the firearms business
on Maiden Lane.
lis the demand for pistols increasing
In proportion to the increase of popula-
tion 2"
Il am glad to say that it is not, es-
pecially in the South, where it has
heretofore been the rule for the male
sex to go armed, and where the crack
of the revolver has too often been the
umpire in argument. The authorities
In several Southern States have appar-
emily seen the necessity of placing
some restraint on the carrying of dead
ly weapons, and the preponderance of
public sentiment is everywhere against
the indiscriminate practice. Texas has
enacted a law imposing six months i'm
prisonment and fine of $3.50 for carry
ing a pistol. In Tennessee, Georgia
Alabama, Arkansas the sa @ of pistol
cartridges is prohibited. The North
western State of Illinois has very good
law, requiring dealers in pistols to keep
arecord of every sale, and to whom sold,
as apothecaries must do when selling
poisons. This law of course facilitates
the procuring of evidence in cases of
murder by the use of the pistol"
You do not approve of cheap pis-
tols?"
81 do not The purchaser of a pis-
tol, desiring good, durable, and trust
worthy weapon, should pay not less
than SO, and from that to $15. The
vast majority of pistols in the market
are, however, of the 70 cent and 81
quality. There is probably no danger
of explosion in using such weapons.
They are not likely to burst, as the
strain is on the shell and at the
breech, and there is ample strength
there, as a general thing, to prevent
bursting. But such pistols soon wear
out. Like the razors Hodge bought
at shilling dozen, they are manu-
featured to SELL"
DO many women buy pistols"
Some respectable women, living is
olated, or under circumstances which
Justify the apprehension that there may
be need for deadly weapon for use in
defending themselves or their property,
procure pistols. But in such cases they
are very apt to lock the weapon up in
q drawer, and not be able to get at it
he, hos ho 80 a
women not unfrequently arm them
selves with pistols. They usually buy
the cheap kind. As rule, when a
woman buys pistol she probably has
some very serious idea in her head.
Under ordinary circumstances the sex
has no inclination for such weapons.
"The trade in sporting weapons,
added the manager, lis increasing. 4
good many more shotguns are sold than
rifles, and, Notwithstanding tho 35 per
cent. duty, English shotguns continue
In favor r, because they are made by hand
and have undergone a thorough Govern
ment inspection, while the American
weapon is made by machinery and is
subjected to no Government test what
ever. a good English shotgun can be
procured at from SO to So q first-class
weapon for from $75 to 800, but some
English shotguns are sold as low as SO
or So. Even these are safe, as far as
bursting is concerned, owing to the
rigid Government inspection. All shot
guns imported are not handmade, as
there are two manufacturers in Belgi-
um who use machinery. American
shotguns retail for from $40 to S75 and
60, ha L
handmade goods being able to under
sell the American.
an rifles, however, the Americans
hold the market. Their machine-man-
ufactured rifles cannot be eaualed bv
the handiwork of Englishmen, and
American rifles are sold all over the
world. The demand for sporting
rifles has, however, been unfavorably
affected by the indiscriminate slaughter
of large game in the Far West. The
class of arms sold to buffalo hunters has
almost gone out of the market, owing.
to the rapid extinction of the buffalo"
"These dealers in arms are in favor
of the protection of game?"
"Emphat;cally SO, and every true
sportsman is. The extinction of game
would mean the cessation of demand
for sporting arms"
as game decreasing in the Eastern
and Middle States"
Il should say not, Judging from the
demand for shotguns and sporting
rifles. The game laws are being made
more and more stringent, and public
sentiment sustains their enforcement.
The small game of the Atlantic States
is rather on the increase"